Transmission Cooler – Something more need to know

25Feb

Last Updated onMay 18, 2020

So what does your research say about the root cause of all the problems occur in your transmission? Isn’t it the transmission overheating? Yes, it certainly is. The studies show that the ideal temperature for transmission is 170-degrees and anything beyond this is dangerous. In fact, with every increase of 20-degrees in the transmission temperature, the lifespan can be cut by up to half of its expectancy. Now, it’s important to find out the factors that contribute to any kind of transmission overheating to achieve the maximum results by mitigating them. Some of the major factors that are generally found behind the cause of transmission overheating are such as excessive heavy towing, stop-and-go traffic, hotter climates, and the vehicle’s type and size. For cooling down the transmission the car’s radiator comes into play but this is not dedicatedly purposed for cooling of the transmission as it also performs to cool down the engine oil. So it is obvious for the radiator to get overly tasked, hence hampering the cooling performance of the transmission and engine.

If overheating of the transmission is a phenomenon you commonly come across, then you need a dedicated component for this purpose which is an external automatic transmission cooler. It is also called the transmission oil cooler. What it does is – it helps transmission to work with better efficiency and increase its overall lifespan. You must have some more queries regarding the transmission cooler in terms of choosing the best one for your vehicle. Here we will try to explain some of the most important aspects of a transmission cooler such as its working procedure, types, rating parameter, and installation procedure.

How a Transmission Cooler Works?

The first thing that needs to be clarified before any transmission cooler review to get a better understanding of it is the working procedure. The transmission cooler is a thin, square-shaped component that is usually placed at the front of the radiator. Another usual location where it is added is the air-conditioning condenser. They are designed to dedicatedly serve one purpose that is to cool down the transmission fluid and by doing so, they help to extend the overall lifespan of the transmission. When you question how it works about the transmission cooler, we can simply say that it sends the heated fluid from the transmission to your vehicle’s radiator and eventually to the cooler. After that, the moving air over the cooler fins helps to decrease the temperature of the fluid, and it is then finally driven back to the vehicle’s transmission. This procedure is maintained in a continuous loop. It is not intended to work as an engine oil cooler or the power steering fluid cooler of the vehicle, however, it contributes to the overall cooling system of your vehicle including these two.

In short, what we can say about the transmission cooler is that it is a great addition to your car’s cooling capacity and protection of its overall cooling system. As it has the sole purpose of cooling the transmission fluid, it has no impact nor it affects other components of your car. But again, to have an automatic transmission cooler in your car, you need to have the room for it to be installed. Coolers are universally accepted by cars regardless of the make and model unless it has enough room for setting it up. Such external coolers are recommended to use in case of towing heavy loads, do frequent stop-and-go kind of driving, or live in a place where the climate is hotter than usual. Coolers are supposed to operate whenever your engine is in swing and constantly does the cooling throughout your journey.

What type of transmission cooler should I use for my vehicle?

Pretty simple answer. Get one that is the biggest and provides most heavy-duty performances provided the fact that it should fit into your car. The bigger it is, the better it will perform to lower the transmission fluid temperature. Some coolers provide a bigger surface area for cooling down the fluid better and faster, and you will get this best in the stacked-plate type coolers and also in the plate-and-fin type coolers. And this is the reason why these two coolers are immensely popular.

Transmission cooler types

There are three common types of transmission cooler you can find although the designs can be different depending on the manufacturer. The three types of cooler are the tube-and-fin coolers, the plate-and-fin coolers, and the stacked-plate coolers. You will find the aluminum-made coolers as the most automatic transmission cooler that can dissipate heat faster and with better efficiency. However, effectiveness and durability do vary from one to another. Some transmission coolers come with the inbuilt fans for better cooling power.

Tube and Fin Coolers

These are the basic type of coolers, having a distinguish tube weaving throughout the cooler and the surrounding turbulators. The tube is there to transfer the transmission fluid around when the heat is absorbed by the fins attached outside. Though the tube and fin type coolers are considered as the least efficient coolers.

Pros

Inexpensive price

Works well for older cars

Cons

The least efficiency compared to others

Not recommended for the overdrive transmission

Plate and Fin Coolers

These coolers have distinguished parallel plates capable of running horizontally. Regarding the looks, it is similar to a mini radiator. This transmission cooler works more efficiently than the previously mentioned tube-and-fin type. The reason for this being the bigger surface area that has scope for extra fluid to get in touch with the cooling surface. This works in a way that forces the fluid through every row of those little plates as a result, the procedure of cooling down fluid works quicker and more efficiently.

Pros

They are more effective as compare to the tube and fin coolers

Better durability

Size is smaller

A large quantity of transmission fluid is cooled at a time with a faster pace

Cons

When compared to stack plate coolers, they fall behind in terms of efficiency

Costs a bit higher

Stacked Plate Coolers

If you are in search of the most efficient and popular cooler then we have the stacked plate cooler for you. They look more like the plate and fin coolers, however, they offer better airflow having those bigger turbulators. The working procedure of these coolers is almost similar to the plate and fin type coolers that forces fluid through cooling plates to reduce the temperature of the fluid better and faster. Another reason they are so popular is that they are easy to install and remove.

Pros

Bigger plates compared to plate and fin coolers

Most efficient one on the list

Small size and great durability

Fluid is cooled in a large amount at a time with a faster speed

Cons

Most expensive among the three

Transmission Cooler Rating Parameter: Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)

The parameter to rate an automatic transmission cooler is called the gross vehicle weight (GVW). This rating can start from 10,000 lbs to 30,000 lbs and more. While calculating any vehicle’s GVW the factor that is taken into account is the base weight of your vehicle, the driver, passengers, accessories, and cargo. Vehicle manufacturers include the GVW rating to limit the weight your vehicle is supposed to carry.

For the best cooler with your car’s GVW rating, please take the following points into account:

Small compact cars with no towing: Cooler GVW ratings should be 10,000 -16,000

Mid-size trucks or full-size cars with towing up to 5000 pounds: Cooler GVW ratings should be 18,000 – 24,000

Pickup trucks or SUVs with towing up to 7500 pounds: Cooler GVW ratings should be 22,000 -26,000

Heavy-duty trucks or motor homes with towing up to 10000 pounds: Cooler GVW ratings should be 22,000 -30,000

Super duty trucks or Large Motorhomes: Cooler GVW ratings should be 28,000 +

The installation procedure of an External Cooler

Most of the transmission oil cooler kits have all the necessary hardware, tools, and instruction manual to do it yourself. Talking about the best location where you can install it – in the front of the vehicle’s radiator or the front of the a/c condenser. After choosing the location you will need the mounting rods, mounting pads, and fasteners to install it. Follow the instruction manual to properly hook-up the inlet and outlet hoses, since it’s important for the fact that it works as the pathway the transmission fluid is being sent from the vehicle’s transmission into the cooler.

Some more tips

While choosing the best transmission cooler and installing it into your vehicle, some other tips you should keep in mind are –

Make sure that the cooler has enough room and fits perfectly into your vehicle

Hoses should be kept away from the hot or moving components

Installing location should have a more than sufficient amount of airflow and the rocks and debris of the road should not come into its contact

The fins of the cooler should be kept parallel with the fins of the radiator

You can also add a fan if you have installed your cooler in a location where the airflow is minimal

Do not install any cooler that has comparatively smaller fittings on a bigger system (like 5/16 inch cooler on a 1/2 inch system)

Conclusion

We tried to give you a compact and brief idea about all the necessary aspects of a transmission cooler. If you pay attention to these aspects you should be able to achieve the maximum result with your transmission cooler thus increasing its performance and life expectancy.

Bestoilcooler.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.